A Certain Scientific Imagine Breaker
by zerochitentoppakai
Summary: Misaka Mikoto didn't take the credit for saving the day during the Seventh Mist bombing incident, instead she dragged Kamijou Touma and corrected the other people's assumptions. A simple matter of pride causes severe repercussions. Judgment!Touma fic.
1. Discipline Committee

**Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu/Kagaku no Index/Railgun. **

_**This story starts right after the Seventh Mist bombing in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Discipline Committee. <em>Judgment.<em>**

**Part 1  
><strong>

**July 18th, 5:43 pm**

Near the entrance of the recently bombed shopping mall, Misaka Mikoto ponders the events that occurred. Just before the bomb exploded, she tried to shoot it down. Her railgun didn't make it in time.

Instead, a certain spiky-haired high school student rushed in front of them, protecting everyone from the explosion.

"Heading home?" Mikoto asks the said high school student who is now leisurely walking towards the exit as if nothing happened.

"Lemme clear this up first. Starting from today, I have no intention of becoming your opponent." says Kamijou, obviously referring to the fact that Mikoto challenges him to a fight every single time she sees him. He doesn't even stop walking and heads straight to the exit.

"Are you okay with this? It looks like everyone thinks I'm the one who saved the day. If you take the credit, you'd be a hero, you know?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Everyone's safe so there's no problem. Who cares who did the saving, right?"

Mikoto was taken aback at the answer she received. The girl didn't even notice the Seventh Mist manager approach her.

"Ah so there you are! It was all thanks to you, our honored customer, that there weren't any casualties in our store." says the manager.

"Who cares who did the saving, right?" The girl murmurs Kamijou's words in obvious disbelief, not paying any attention to the words of the manager beside her.

"Quit trying to act cool! And only in front of me too! Gaaah this pisses me off!" Mikoto kicks the elevator beside her in frustration.

At that moment, Kamijou felt a shiver run down his spine. Sure enough when he looked back, he sees the Ace of Tokiwadai running towards him.

"WAIT! THIS TALK ISN'T OVER YET!"

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2<br>**

**July 18th, 6:30 pm**

Even though the curfew is fast approaching, the 177th Judgment Branch Office is still bustling with activity. Uiharu Kazari, Shirai Kuroko and Konori Mii, the three members who belong to the branch have not gone back to their dormitories yet. Uiharu's best friend and occasional Judgment helper, Saten Ruiko, was also there trying to help them out.

"Coming through!" shouts a certain Level 5 esper, as she slams the door open. Something good must have happened because she is grinning from ear to ear.

"Onee-sama, how many times must I remind you not to use your powers to bypass the security?" says one Shirai Kuroko, a Level 4 Teleporter who goes to Tokiwadai Middle School.

"Don't mind it! This can't wait. It took me almost an hour to catch this guy."

Mikoto drags an obviously unwilling high school student into the room. All of the occupants can't help but stare in amazement as she manhandles the unfortunate guy.

"And who might this gentleman be?"

"The one who defended us from the bomb wasn't me, but this guy over here. He was trying to act all cool about it. It pissed me off so I dragged him all the way here to set things straight." Mikoto starts to give off sparks, getting pissed as she remembers the conversation.

"Please forgive Onee-sama's rudeness. I am Shirai Kuroko, Onee-sama's herald from Tokiwadai. These people on my left are Uiharu Kazari and Saten Ruiko, while the person on the computer over there is Konori Mii-senpai. This is the 177th Judgment Branch. Who might you be?" Shirai said directly to Kamijou, who was obviously feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

"Uh... Kamijou Touma."

"Nice to meet you, Kamijou-san. If what Onee-sama's saying is true, then you must be a high-level esper. Managing to shield everyone from that huge explosion should take considerable power." says Shirai, who seems to be impressed with the feat.

"Eh? I'm just a Level 0 though."

Hearing this proclamation, the sparks emitting from Mikoto intensified tenfold.

"JUST A LEVEL 0 YOU SAY! DON'T SAY THAT WHEN I'VE NEVER WON AGAINST YOU!

At this point, Uiharu goes towards one of the computers on the desk. Judgment, after all, has access to the Academy City Data Banks. Checking for a person's ability takes only a few seconds if you have the permission.

"That's impossible. After all, Onee-sama is the third strongest of only 7 Level 5's here in Academy City. Her losing to someone of a lower Level, much less a Level 0, is simply unthinkable." starts Shirai, obviously not believing their claims. "Besides, the explosion is at least Level 4. It would take at least a person of the same Level to stop that kind of attack."

"Found it! Kamijou Touma, Level 0. His System Scan results are the lowest in the entire Academy City." declares Uiharu from the computer. Needless to say, everyone shuffles behind her in order to take a look for themselves.

"You're lying! There's no way that's possible, right?" Mikoto's anger dissipates. She can't believe that the person who manages to escape from her unscathed every single time they fight is considered a Level 0 with no special abilities.

"Clairvoyance, F. Precognition, F. Psychometry, F... Everything else is F! Are these scores even possible after going through the Power Development Curriculum?" Shirai's eyes widens in disbelief.

"Whoa! Those scores are even lower than mine! Are you sure the Data Bank is accurate?" Saten speaks up for the first time, directing the question towards the Judgment members.

"Of course. The last System Scan was held just two days ago. Even if his ability was just discovered yesterday, there's no way he would've developed it fast enough to block today's explosion. Are you sure you've got the right person, Onee-sama?"

"Oi! Don't talk about me as if I'm not here! And don't look at other people's files for no reason!" exclaims Kamijou angrily.

"No matter how you look at it Onee-sama, it's just not possible. I believe you're being humble again, as expected of Tokiwadai's Ace." says Shirai, ignoring Kamijou.

"But I'm telling the truth! Besides, there's no way I would've been able to block it with my powers. The floor was concrete, and there was no way I would've gathered Iron Sand fast enough to block it. I was planning on blowing the bomb away with my railgun, but..."

"But?"

Mikoto refuses to answer, embarassed about the fact that she let the coin slip from her fingertips at such a crucial moment.

"Look, instead of arguing, why don't we just ask Kamijou-san for an explanation?" The black-haired Konori finally speaks up.

Everyone looks expectantly at Kamijou, waiting for him to explain himself.

A certain electromaster is beside herself in excitement, for she'll finally find out how Kamijou is managing to beat her.

"Uhh... How do I say it... It's because of my right hand..." says Kamijou, unnerved by all the stares he was getting.

"Right hand?" asks Shirai, wondering what his hand has to do with anything.

"Yep. I'm not sure about the details myself but, if my right hand comes into any special ability, be it a nuke-level fireball or a graviton bomb, even a miracle of God can be dispelled."

Everyone looks skeptical at this pronouncement, aside from the other Level 0 in the room.

"No way... It can't be... That Legendary Ability?" Saten couldn't believe her ears.

"Legendary Ability?"

Known for her knowledge on urban legends, everyone looks toward Saten for an explanation.

"One of the seven mysteries of Academy City, it is said that there is a person who has the ability to nullify all other abilities. It's the ultimate urban legend!" Saten's eyes sparkle with excitement.

Saten's words ring a bell, and Kamijou is suddenly reminded of his homeroom teacher.

"Seven mysteries? You mean like the one about Komoe-sensei?"

"Who's Komoe-sensei?" asks Saten, eager to learn about another urban legend.

Even with the body of a kid, Tsukuyomi Komoe is considered a real adult. She even drinks, smokes, and drives a car.

"She's my homeroom teacher, and she looks twel-" Kamijou begins describing the adult in loli form, but was suddenly cutoff when Mikoto started giving off a dangerous amount of sparks once more.

"STOP GETTING OFF TRACK!"

"Urban Legends aside, there's no way such an unbelievable ability exists. Unless you give us some sort of proof, there's no way I'd believe that this person was the one who managed to save everyone in Seventh Mist." Shirai points towards Kamijou, still skeptical about everything.

This turned out to be the wrong thing to say, as Mikoto's eyes gained a maniacal gleam.

"If you want proof, I'll give you proof!" says Mikoto as she suddenly takes out a coin from her pocket.

"Oi oi isn't that-" says Kamijou, realizing what Mikoto is planning. Before anyone could react, an orange spear of light horizontally pierces through the air towards Kamijou.

It was over as soon as it started.

Using Imagine Breaker, Misaka Mikoto's signature move was stopped.

"...dangerous? What would you do if I didn't manage to block that?" One can barely hear Kamijou's cries of indignation over the small shockwave that the interrupted railgun created.

"It doesn't matter since you always manage to do so anyway." Mikoto flips her hair over her shoulder. It's as if she didn't just send the equivalent of a super electromagnetic cannon at Kamijou.

Everyone else was rendered temporarily speechless at this spectacle, and it wasn't until Shirai caught herself that they snapped out of their reverie.

"No way! Onee-sama's railgun was stopped?"

"Unbelievable! And at point-blank range too!"

"Woohoo! I can't believe i saw it with my own eyes! He's the real deal!" The urban legend fan squealed in happiness. She can already see the posts of disbelief on the messageboards when she shares this experience online.

"Misaka-san?"

Apparently, not everyone is ecstatic about the demonstration that occurred.

"Yes?" Feeling the intense stare behind her, Misaka hesitantly looks at Konori.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, FIRING A RAILGUN INSIDE THIS OFFICE? HE COULD'VE DIED IF HE HADN'T MANAGED TO BLOCK IT! NOT TO MENTION THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY DAMAGE YOU COULD'VE CAUSED!" The tirade went on and on, and the girls had their hands full in trying to make Konori calm down.

Kamijou had enough. Using the commotion as a chance to escape, he sneaked towards the door and ran as fast as he could.

Not looking back even once, Kamijou ran.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3<br>**

**July 18th, 7:24 pm**

Kamijou doesn't know for how long he's been running. He is already in front of his dormitory room before he realizes that he doesn't have enough food in his refrigerator.

After a quick change of clothes, Kamijou retrieves some money before heading out again. The time sale is already over by now; his budget will surely be stretched thin by the end of the week. Trudging tiredly towards the 24 hour grocery, the next thing that happened is something that Kamijou will never forget.

"Congratulations! You are the 1,000,000th customer of this store! You win a Y500,000 gift card!" One of the clerks greets Kamijou happily.

Something fortunate happened to Kamijou Touma.

For the guy who is considered a lightning rod of misfortune, this can be considered a momentous occasion. Instead of relief, however, Kamijou feels a huge feeling of foreboding.

"I... won? Gift card?" Kamijou is so dumbfounded that he notices neither the falling confetti nor the envious stares of the other shoppers.

"Yes! Whenever you buy groceries from our store, simply present that card and we'll automatically subtract it from your prize!"

"EHHHHH? IS THAT FOR REAL?" says Kamijou in disbelief.

"Yes!" The clerk answers cheerfully, already expecting this reaction.

Kamijou pinches his cheek in order to double-check.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4<br>**

**July 19th, 7:49 am**

After buying a lot more than what he expected because his budget isn't constrained, Kamijou's journey back to his dormitory goes smoothly.

Too smoothly, in fact, that his suspicions grew by leaps and bounds.

It didn't help that he didn't suffer any of his usual misfortune after he arrived home. He worried so much that before he knew it, it was already time to prepare for school.

And now, Kamijou is dragging his feet on the way to school after a night of no sleep.

"Yo! Kami-yan, looks like you didn't get any sleep." says the Sis-Con Sergeant Tsuchimikado Motoharu. Along with Aogami Pierce, he caught up with Kamijou on the way to school.

"Komoe-chan didn't give us any homework, so how come you look like a student who crammed everything on the last day of summer vacation?" asks the third member of the Delta Force.

"Yesterday, I won in a grocery promo, didn't run into any delinquents on the way home, and none of my appliances accidentally broke. Just this morning, I found a Y10,000 bill on the sidewalk. No matter how you look at it, this kind of thing never happens to me." replies Kamijou, his voice containing zero enthusiasm.

"Then aren't you thankful that your bad luck seem to have finally stopped?" says the Kansai citizen-wannabe.

"There's no way that's gonna happen, right? If I'm not mistaken, something extremely horrible will happen to me soon. I've been worrying about it so much that I didn't get any sleep."

"Don't worry Kami-yan, there's no way it could be that bad, right?"

* * *

><p><strong>Part 5<br>**

**July 19th, 8:39 am**

Kamijou becomes a bit more relaxed after going to his seat. There's no way he'll be able to find misfortune if he's not doing anything, right?

How wrong he was. It turns out that all that hope was false, for misfortune came to find him. There is a reason why the usually punctual loli teacher is late today.

"All right everyone, please settle down. You must be wondering why I was late and why I have these two people with me. Yomikawa-sensei is here as a member of Antiskill, while Konori-san is a member of Judgment. They're here on Judgment business."

Murmurs erupted from the class after this pronouncement.

_"Judgment?"_

_"What would they want to do with our class?"_

_"Did Aogami Pierce harass someone or something?"_

"Then, Konori-san, the floor is yours." The kid-like teacher says to Konori with a smile.

"Thank you." Konori then turns to the class, calling the name of a certain unfortunate student.

"Kamijou Touma-kun!"

"Yes?" Kamijou jumps to his feet when his name is suddenly called. Somehow, this doesn't feel like it is an unexpected turn of events. The next few words, however, utterly surprised him and his classmates.

"Please lend Judgment your strength!" Konori bowed in his direction.

_"EH..."_

_"EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?" _

Several jaws dropped in shock. The students' eyes bugged out after hearing that single sentence. Konori Mii looks unfazed, acting as if they recruit Judgment members in front of their class on a daily basis.

"Wha... why me?" Kamijou asks after finally regaining control of his voice.

"You were of great help yesterday during the Seventh Mist bombing incident. If it weren't for your selflessness, there would've been several casualties. We need someone of your calibre in Judgment." Konori replies without missing a beat, obviously expecting the question.

With this proclamation, class 1-7 breaks into conversation once more.

_"Seventh Mist was bombed?"_

_"How scary. I was planning on going there yesterday, good thing I postponed it."_

_"Yeah I read about it in the net, someone apparently managed to save several people from the explosion."_

_"Then that person was Kami-yan?"_

_"How on earth was Kami-yan able to do that?"_

_"Beats me."_

"Kamijou-chan, this is a great chance! Even someone like you would be able to contribute to society!" Komoe-sensei says enthusiastically to her favorite student.

"NO WAY! THE ONLY THING JUDGMENT DOES IS SWEEP STREETS AND FIND LOST OBJECTS AND ARRIVE LATE AT CRIME SCENES! WHY WOULD I WANT TO JOIN? ARE YOU AN IDIOT?" shouts Kamijou, who definitely isn't interested in joining Academy City's equivalent of a discipline committee.

Hearing Kamijou's words made Komoe-sensei tear up, and made Kamijou pause mid-rant.

He could feel the stares of ill intent coming from his classmates.

"_How can he say something like that?"_

"_Despicable."_

"_How cruel."_

"_He's the worst."_

The Protection of Children's Rights Association glares at Kamijou in full force- he wouldn't be able to leave the classroom in one piece if he didn't defuse the situation soon.

**"Fine fine I'll do it! I just have to do it right?"**

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><p><strong>AN:**

**Well I've been wanting a Touma joins Judgment fanfic for a while now, and since I figured out how I was gonna diverge from the original story, the ideas started flowing. The plot is pretty much set in stone, but the prose is gonna take a while to take form, since Kazuma Kamachi's writing style is pretty hard to emulate.**

**Canon is derived from the light novels & the Railgun manga. I don't care about the Index manga or anime.**

**About Touma stopping Mikoto's railgun, I know people debate about it, but Kazuma Kamachi says that Touma can do it. It was mentioned in Volume 1 of the light novel that Touma can stop a tactical railgun, and it was shown in chapter 7 of the Railgun manga. I don't care if he shouldn't be able to do so in theory.**

**P.S. To those who read my REBORN! fanfic, I apologize. This plot bunny is a lot stronger compared to that one, it's like comparing a Railgun to a Radio Noise clone; the power of the REBORN! plot bunny is only 1% of this one. It's not discontinued, but it's not my main priority right now.**


	2. Library of Prohibited Books

**Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu/Kagaku no Index/Railgun. **

_**This story starts right after the Seventh Mist was bombed in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Library of Prohibited Books. <em>Index Librorum Prohibitorum.<em>  
><strong>

**Part 1**

**July 20, 10:21 am**

"Such misfortune."

Tsukuyomi Komoe just threatened Kamijou and Aogami Pierce with a Columbus's egg if they didn't stop talking. Not wanting to spend an entire day trying to balance an upside-down raw egg, Kamijou sighs as he stares out the window.

_I wonder what she's doing now... I think she forgot her nun cap back in my room. _

Kamijou sighs again as he remembers his encounter with the silver-haired sister earlier this morning.

After finding out that all of his food went bad due to the previous night's blackout, Kamijou decided to air out his futon, only to find a nun wearing a white habit hanging on his balcony.

He tried to feed the hungry nun with some of the rotten food that was in his freezer, only for his conscience to kick in. He jumped into hell by eating the hot "trash" by himself.

When things finally settled down, the silver-haired nun known as Index explained her predicament to Kamijou. She was running away from "magic societies" that are after her, jumping from building to building when she fell onto Kamijou's balcony.

Kamijou didn't believe in magic. He, however, believes in the existence of superpowers. Academy City boasts of 2 million and 300 thousand espers; there are people who can teleport, brainwash, and even manipulate electricity. With the Power Development Curriculum, even those without abilities will be able to at least bend a spoon.

Such abilities are commonplace in Academy City. Kamijou wouldn't have batted an eyelash if Index said she had a superpower. However, if there's something as convenient as magic, why would anyone want to develop abilities in the first place?

To prove her point, Index pointed out the robes she was wearing. The nun habit [Walking Church], that Index wore is supposed to be as resistant to damage as a nuclear bomb shelter. However, it unraveled like a gift ribbon after coming into contact with Kamijou's right hand.

Even though the nun says that the habit is made by magic, there's no way that he'd believe that magic exists that easily. However, it is certain that what she said isn't completely false.

_But what was all that about? 103,000 grimoires... Where does she put all of that? She says she has them "right here"... _

Index landed on Kamijou's balcony, being chased by "magic societies" for the 103,000 grimoires she possesses. She came and left Kamijou's life in a hurry, leaving only a white nun cap behind.

_Maybe she'll come back to pick up what she forgot someday._

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><p><strong>Part 2<strong>

**July 20, 4:08 pm**

Because of several sessions of See-Through Poker, even though it was just summer remedial classes, the remaining members of year 1 class 7 weren't let out until the normal dismissal time.

Kamijou rises from his seat, intending to get back home as he was rather tired from his lessons. After stretching his stiff limbs, Kamijou grabs his school bag and heads for the door.

Just when Kamijou reached for the sliding door's handle, the door opened and Kamijou was faced with the woman from Anti-Skill that came to their class yesterday.

"Oh, so you're finally done with remedial classes, huh? Then, let's get going."

Hearing the female voice, Kamijou shakes himself out of his stupor.

"Eh? What do you mean by that, sensei?"

"You can't go home yet. We have to go through your Judgment papers." Placing her hand on her waist, Yomikawa stares at Kamijou intently as if telling him not to waste any more of her time.

"That's today? But it's late already."

"And whose fault do you think that is? Since I've waited for your class to finish already, and I don't to want to let all the waiting go to waste, we'll go through the contracts today. All nine of them."

"...Such misfortune." Kamijou drops his head and sighs, and goes to follow the glamorous-looking woman to her car.

"Don't worry, I'll drop you off later to your dorm. I can't have you wandering the streets at night right after you joined Judgment."

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><p><strong>Part 3<strong>

**July 20, 4:57 pm**

"Good afternoon." Kamijou and Yomikawa greet as they enter the 177th Judgment Branch Office.

Kamijou looks around the office in interest, not having the opportunity to do so two days ago after being dragged by a certain electromaster.

He could see several desks with computers on top of them; most were shut down. One of the computers is left on; its screensaver based on the armbands that Judgment members wear when they're on duty. After staring at the Judgment shield spinning lazily in the middle of the screen, Kamijou turned his eyes away and looked around the office once more. Aside from a few shelves, Kamijou could see several boxes labeled with the Branch Office's number from where he was standing.

Only one member is in the room, a certain short-haired high school student who is busy typing away on one of the only computers left on.

"Uhmmm... Konori-san... was it? Where are those people from the other day?" Kamijou asks, certainly not expecting to the office to be so quiet after the fiasco that happened two days ago.

"Ah... you mean Shirai-san and the others? Shirai-san went to gather some information about a case, while Uiharu-san left just a few minutes ago. We'll have to reintroduce you to everyone later, but for now we'll have to work on those documents." Konori says, closing the laptop lid. She stands up and gathers some papers from a nearby fax machine and leads them to the small sitting area.

"The first and most important thing we'll do today is to brief you on what Judgment does." Yomikawa says as she sits down on the couch. Konori sits down beside the Anti-Skill member, and motions for Kamijou to sit across them.

"Eh? Aside from catching delinquents, isn't it just a walking customer service system?" asks Kamijou as he puts down his school bag and sits on the couch opposite Yomikawa's.

"That's a good way to put it, although that's not all that Judgment does." says Yomikawa, taking the stack of papers from Konori and placing them on the coffee table in front of her.

"Judgment serves as Academy City's discipline committee. Keeping public order is Judgment's main concern, which is why Judgment helps out with a lot of various tasks around the city. Helping lost people, finding missing belongings, going on cleaning or traffic duty when the machines are out-of-order; these are some examples of what a Judgment member deals with on a regular basis."

"So? Are you intimidated yet?" Yomikawa asks Kamijou.

"Who would be?" Kamijou shrugs, not seeing what the big deal is. From Konori's explanation so far, Judgment's tasks don't seem to be much different from what he does every day.

"Anyway, let me continue. Since Judgment is mostly made up of espers, we also handle most of the esper-related incidents. We can arrest any criminals or delinquents, but they can only be detained by Anti-Skill. Judgment members often work closely with Anti-Skill on major cases. In case of emergencies, the members are also in charge of evacuating the civilians while Anti-Skill deals with the situation. They're technically our superiors, and we even receive training from them." Konori pauses at this, seemingly recalling something important.

"Which reminds me, Yomikawa-sensei? Normal Judgment members have to train for four months before they become official members. Doesn't he have to go through that before he can actually do his duties?"

"Don't worry. Since this guy's a special case, I managed to do something about that. If we finish his paperwork, he'll be able to start as a Judgment member as soon as possible." Yomikawa answers, pointing at the black-haired student across the table.

Kamijou cheers at this internally. He doesn't mind helping out people, but he surely doesn't want to spend his summer break doing some sort of training. His rejoicing is cut short when Yomikawa turns to face him.

"However, you still need to go through the training and pass the tests. It won't do to have you out there without even knowing how to use the necessary equipment or knowing what to do during emergencies."

"...Such misfortune." Kamijou sighs, resigning to his fate. He already expected this outcome, but it didn't stop him from hoping for his assumptions to be proven wrong.

"So? Where will I train? Who's gonna train me?"

"There are special training grounds reserved for Judgment and Anti-Skill use at District 2, so that's where you'll be going. Also, since I'm the one who roped you into Judgment, I'll have to take responsibility. Which means this won't be the last time we'll see each other. I don't want to bother the other members of Anti-Skill with something as trivial as your training, so I'm the one who's gonna be handling most of it. "

"What kind of training is it going to be?"

"Aside from hand-to-hand combat, you'll be having some first aid training. Of course, we'll also teach you how to handle law enforcement equipment, how to read maps, and other vital skills you might need in order to become a good Judgment member."

"So when do I start training?" asks Kamijou hesitantly, not sure if he wants to know how much of the precious summer vacation he'll have left.

"Well if we finish this today, we'll have you do some basic fitness tests tomorrow. Don't worry, we don't immediately run trainees to the ground on their first day!" Yomikawa says lightheartedly. The long-haired Anti-Skill member then grabs the topmost form on the stack and places it in front of Kamijou.

"We'll still have to schedule your training after we finish these papers, so get to work."

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4<strong>

**July 20, 5:39 pm**

Saten Ruiko is excited, for her dorm's electricity got restored a couple of minutes ago. As she boots up her computer, Saten recalls the events that happened two days ago.

Uiharu was targeted by the graviton bomber for being a Judgment member, and it was only due to Mikoto's friend that they were saved. With his right hand, he managed to protect those behind him, leaving them completely unscathed.

Exhausted from the graviton bombing incident, she went to sleep as soon as she got home, intending to post about Kamijou's legendary ability on the following day. However, Uiharu fell sick the day after, and a city-wide blackout occurred.

With the electricity restored and without anything to do, Saten immediately went online and logged into the Academy City Urban Legends message board. Her fingers moving frantically across the keyboard, Saten typed in a new comment and clicked 'Submit'.

_RS : ID skgw764582_

_I saw Railgun fire her finishing move at a boy two days ago, and he managed to nullify it using his bare hand!_

Comments started flooding in as soon as she commented. Apparently with loads of free time during summer vacation, a lot of bored urban legend fans are just lurking around the internet.

_NRN : ID nndf722827_

_NO WAY! I'm so envious!_

_TMNR : ID welo846158_

_I'm not, I wouldn't want to get caught in the middle of that battle._

_SN : ID ngtj000321_

_Maybe that nullifier guy's the one who manages to beat Railgun with one hand._

_KT : ID tkwd004326_

_But I heard that the one who can beat Misaka-sama with one hand is a Level 0, so I highly doubt that it's the same person._

_KSJ : ID hbtb420024_

_I agree, I don't think someone with that much nullifying ability would be just a Level 0._

_SN : ID ngtj000321_

_Aside from the another Level 5, do you honestly think anyone else would stand a chance at beating her without a nullifying ability? She's ranked 3__rd__ out of 2.3 million espers!_

_TDAP : ID takk902354_

_But why would someone with a nullifying ability be just a Level 0?_

_TMNR : ID welo846158_

_Maybe the databanks are inaccurate, after all. Recently a lot of people had shown powers higher than their recorded level, can that be the reason?_

_KT : ID tkwd004326_

_He's been legendary even before Level Upper came out, so I don't think that's the case._

_RS : ID skgw764582_

_Actually it IS him. I heard the Railgun say that she's never won against him before..._

_TMNR : ID welo846158_

_Then... he's 2 legends in one? Whoa! That's amazing!_

_TMNR : ID welo846158_

_ Then why isn't he a Level 5? He has an awesome ability and he can beat a Level 5, right?_

_SN : ID ngtj000321_

_If Railgun's never won against him, does that mean they fight often? I wonder if they know each other personally..._

_TDAP : ID takk902354_

_They obviously do, since I heard she's always challenging someone to fights recently._

_NRN : ID nndf722827_

_Come to think of it, I saw her chasing someone around yesterday night before the blackout, maybe it's that guy!_

The comments kept on flowing and Saten found herself hard-pressed to keep up. She grins and braces herself for an entire day of discussing her favorite urban legends.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 5<strong>

**July 20, 10:43 pm**

A nondescript car pulls over near an eight-story apartment building, and a certain spiky-haired student got off from the right side. Before the student could turn to leave, he sees the passenger seat window roll down and something green fly out of it. His right hand instinctively reaches out to catch the flying object.

"That's your Judgment armband. Wear it at all times unless you're in class, you're undercover, or you're off duty. Of course, even if you're off duty, you'll need to have it with you in case of emergencies. It's troublesome to replace, so don't lose it, got that?"

"Uhhh… Sure." Kamijou answers the long-haired teacher, still staring at the armband that he just caught.

"Then I'll be off. Go straight to your dorm and don't loiter around, okay?" Yomikawa drives off right after rolling up her window, and Kamijou watches her car go into the distance before heading towards his dormitory.

"Like hell I'd even go anywhere at this time of the night. Practically everything is closed already." mutters Kamijou to himself as he heads towards the elevator, stuffing the armband inside his pocket.

Kamijou already had his dorm keys out even before he got to his door. After the stressful day, he's just about ready to collapse onto his bed and fall asleep without changing. Kamijou locks the door before turning on the lights, and heads straight for his bed right after removing his shoes.

_Ah that's right, she left this in my room, didn't she? _Kamijou thinks as he spots the white nun cap on his bed. He grabs the nun cap and places it on top of a shelf.

_Maybe she'll come back to pick it up someday. _

Not realizing that he just used his right hand to move the nun cap, and that the last of the silver-haired nun's [Walking Church] just got destroyed by his [Imagine Breaker], Kamijou Touma lay down and drifted off to a peaceful slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**I based the message board on the backdoor website that Uiharu accessed during the Railgun OVA. **

_**RS : ID skgw764582**_

_**is basically**_

**Initials : ID 4letterschoolacronymSTUDENTNO**

**RS = Ruiko Saten**

**skgw = Sakugawa (Middle School)**

**Saten's student number is made up, as well as the other people's initials and student numbers. Also I don't know what welo stands for; I just grabbed the one who trolled Kongou Mitsuko in the Railgun OVA. The other school initials were based on authentic Academy City schools.**

**As for some of the things people pointed out in their reviews...**

**The arcade coin is small and it weighs practically nothing, so the air it displaces isn't a lot. I don't think that it'll cause a shockwave large enough to destroy the Judgment Office. Not to mention Imagine Breaker also pretty much nullified the railgun instantly, and since Misaka was standing near Touma, the distance is really small.**

**I guess this chapter answers most of your questions. As for Misaka, she goes to the office practically every day, not to mention she helps out in the serious cases without having to do all the Judgment chores. I don't think there's any point in making her join Judgment.**


	3. Illusion Beast

**Disclaimer: I do not own Toaru Majutsu/Kagaku no Index/Railgun. **

_**This story starts right after the Seventh Mist was bombed in Toaru Kagaku no Railgun manga.**_

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Chapter 3: Illusion Beast. <em>AIM Burst.<em>****

**Part 1**

**July 24 10:33 am**

Even though it's just the second day of summer vacation, a certain spiky-haired boy named Kamijou Touma can't seem to catch a break. Just last night, he had to stay up late in order to sign the nine contracts that will lead him to his doom.

As of today, Kamijou Touma is officially a member of the student task force, Judgment.

Because of this recent development, even though it's summer vacation, Kamijou isn't hanging out with his friends or lounging in his dormitory room. Yomikawa, the female Anti-Skill member that dragged him off yesterday to sign paperwork, called him early this morning in order to make sure he doesn't forget today's appointment.

"Such misfortune." Kamijou sighs tiredly. Right now, the unfortunate high school student is standing in the middle of a training field somewhere in the Second School District.

"Oi oi, we've barely started and you're already tired?" Yomikawa holds a whistle in her left hand and a clipboard in the other. The glamorous-looking gym teacher is wearing her usual green track suit.

"Sensei, why do I have to do this in the middle of summer vacation?" Kamijou ignores Yomikawa's inquiry and in favor of asking the most important question of all. He knew he'd have to go through training at some point, but he didn't imagine that he'll do it in the sweltering heat of summer.

"It'll be a waste of perfectly good free time if we don't do it right now. Be thankful I'm choosing to spending this much time on you when I could be having the time of my life right now." replies Yomikawa.

"Then, why don't we just agree that we delay the training for a few months and I'll just join the other recruits next term?" suggests Kamijou. Even though it's not noon yet, the heat is intense enough to make one want to head into a convenience store and buy some ice cream.

"Because you'll need at least the basics in order to be able to act as an efficient member. There'd be no point in having you join immediately if you don't even what to use when arresting rule breakers." Yomikawa elaborates, placing her hand on her hip as if going on a lecture mode. "Aside from some light training, today we'll teach you how to use at least the basic equipment, like handcuffs, shields, and emergency signal flares. Before that however, we'll have an assessment on what skills you have."

"Skills? What kind of skills?"

"First of all, we want to know if there are any of the things in the training menu that you already know about." Yomikawa drops the whistle hanging on her chest and turns to the clipboard on her hand. On the clipboard is a sheet of paper containing the barest descriptions of a normal Judgment member's training menu. Motioning for Kamijou to come closer, Yomikawa takes the pen attached to the clipboard, her hand poised to take note of whatever info Kamijou tells her.

"Well, since I always get into all sorts of accidents, I'm pretty adept at applying first aid." says Kamijou, moving beside the Anti-Skill member in order to take a look at the training menu as well. "I'm good with maps too, and as for hand-to-hand combat, and I did learn some judo a while back."

Yomikawa made several notes on the side of the paper, and crossed out several boxes from the checklist.

"Then, that makes things easier. We'll have to test your skills when it comes to those, but having some sort of foundation will speed things up. You'll still have to undergo equipment and fitness training in order to increase you speed and stamina, but we'll have a lighter menu than what we originally expected," Yomikawa says, pointing at that part of the list with the pen in her hand.

Kamijou brightens up at this proclamation. Even though he won't be rid of the training altogether, at least due to his self-reliance, the amount of training he will go through has lessened.

"Of course, the in-depth lecture courses on conduct during certain situations, crime scene investigations and software usage will have to wait until next term. Since you're working with other members in your branch anyway, you can let them handle the investigation in the meantime." says Yomikawa, tucking the clipboard under her right arm once more.

"Alrighty then, how about we start with some marathon training?"

* * *

><p><strong>Part 2<strong>

**July 21, 3:24 pm**

After a late lunch because Yomikawa decided to squeeze in all the basic equipment training in one session, Kamijou changed out of his gym clothes and into his usual school uniform. Because Yomikawa decided to delay the rest of his training until his makeup classes are over, he won't be seeing her until next week. Instead, she instructed him to report to the Judgment 177th Branch Office, which he'll be a member of starting today.

Kamijou comes to a stop in front of the average-looking compound of the Sakugawa Middle School. Entering through the staff entrance that Yomikawa led him through yesterday, Kamijou heads towards the second floor office after retrieving a pair of slippers.

"Oops, I almost forgot," says Kamijou, pulling out a green armband from his bag. After pinning it to his sleeve for the first time ever, Kamijou went through the security checks and entered.

"Yo."

"Oh my, if it isn't that gentleman from the other day." says Shirai Kuroko, looking over her shoulder. The Tokiwadai student appears to have been trying to place a pair of earphones on a resisting Uiharu.

"Ah, welcome to our branch! Shirai-san, this person is joining us starting today." Uiharu says enthusiastically, taking Shirai's distraction as an opportunity to get out of her grasp.

"Hmm, is that so? Then, I'm counting on you." says Shirai cordially, helding out her hand to Kamijou.

"Same here," Kamijou shakes the offered hand and does the same thing with Uiharu.

"Normally we would celebrate someone's first day here, but we've been rather busy recently with the Level Upper case. Uiharu, can you bring us up to speed?" Shirai turns her attention back to the screen.

"Let's see... I've contacted several service providers right before access to the page was banned; it turns out that the Level Upper file has been downloaded for over 5,000 times already. That's not counting the the users that downloaded it from different sites." Uiharu says with a serious look on her face, pulling up several datasheets on her computer.

"Wait, wait, stop! Level Upper? What's that?" Kamijou exclaims in confusion.

"..."

"Are you really a Level 0?" Shirai bemoans Kamijou's lack of knowledge.

"Shirai-san, isn't it for the better that he isn't interested in the rumors?" Uiharu says, trying to placate the teleporter beside her. Shirai sighs and decides to just explain the situation to the new member.

"Level Upper is a sound file that increases the esper ability of those who listen to it."

"What's up with that video game-like item? It's too convenient. Are you sure it's real?" Kamijou says incredulously. If people could easily increase their Level by simply listening to some music, the weak students wouldn't be exerting themselves to the point that their blood vessels burst just to be able to bend a spoon.

"We have confirmed its existence recently. Let's see... To use an example you are familiar with, the culprit for the graviton bombings was discovered to be a Level Upper user." Shirai replies.

"Graviton bombings... you mean like that one in Seventh Mist?"

"Yes. Kaitabi Hatsuya was originally a Level 2, but after using Level Upper, he managed to create an explosion that is Level 4 in magnitude. Using the Level Upper seems to have side effects, however, since he is now comatose along with several other confirmed users." Shirai finishes her succinct explanation, looking at Kamijou as if asking him if there's any part he doesn't get. When Kamijou nods his head to show his understanding, the Tokiwadai freshman motions for Uiharu to continue her briefing.

"We've recently discovered the site that is distributing Level Upper and managed to close it down, but some people seem to be using this to their advantage by distributing the file in exchange for money. In fact, ever since we took down the download site, the number of people commencing money transactions seems to have increased, be it through direct cash trading or bank savings."

"Then, wanting to fully stop the expanded situation would be nigh impossible, huh? Have you found any trading locations?" Shirai asks, leaning into the screen.

"One moment please," says Uiharu.

The sound of a running printer could be heard throughout the office. The Level 1 esper handed the thick pile to Shirai as soon as the printing finished.

"...This many?" Shirai says in shock, flipping to the first page. Kamijou looks over her shoulder, and is surprised to see the page filled entirely with trading schedules and locations.

"No other way but to check them out one by one, huh? How troublesome." mumbles Shirai. Since the stack of papers seem to be at least a centimeter thick, Kamijou can't imagine how much work it would take to verify all of the locations listed.

"Eh... You're doing it alone, Shirai-san?"

""If we can't point out evidence of its actual harm, the tops won't pay any heed to it. First we must do our best to keep the situation from expanding, as well as prove the risk of Level Upper." says Shirai, heading towards one of the desks and picking up her school bag, intending to leave and investigate.

"Wait! I'll go too!" bursts Kamijou.

"Huh!"

"The ones we're apprehending are Level Upper users right? Most likely, they'll be eager to show off their abilities. Even though I haven't started training yet, I have more than enough experience in street fights. Not to mention with this right hand, I'm sure that I'll be able to help you out." says Kamijou resolutely. Shirai stares intently at him for a moment, then finally relents, handing him a quarter of the original pile.

"Since you just joined, it'll be too much to ask you to handle more than this. Also, since I'm a teleporter, it's natural that I'll be able to cover more locations. I assume you learned at least how to use handcuffs, right?" Shirai asks Kamijou, who nods in affirmative.

"Uiharu, I'm counting on you to explain it to Kiyama-sensei." Shirai says.

"Ah. Got it." replies Uiharu, resuming her seat in front of the computer. After putting the list in her school bag, Shirai Kuroko heads out of the 177th Branch Office.

"Well then, I'll be going too."

A certain spiky-haired high school student stepped out of the 177th Branch Office and into his first operation as a member of Judgment.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 3<strong>

**July 24, 2:49 pm**

For the past few days, Kamijou has been busy apprehending Level Upper users. It's Judgment's duty to catch those who are misusing their powers, and since he joined the organization, Kamijou's hardly been able to get any rest.

Right now, however, Kamijou is currently stuck in the middle of remedial lessons. Because he skipped months of school during the previous term, he has to take remedial lessons for a week. Kamijou was listening absent-mindedly to Komoe-sensei's lecture about ESP card experimentation or some other subject when his phone vibrated.

Kamijou discreetly checked to see who the caller was, and on the screen displayed the shield that signifies 'Judgment'. He raises his hand and asks Komoe-sensei to excuse him for a moment, moving to take the call outside the classroom.

"Kamijou here. What's wrong?" The other members of Judgment knows about his summer remedial lessons, so for them to call him in the middle of class means there's some sort of emergency going on.

"Hurry up and head to the Tenth School District! Onee-sama is fighting the developer of Level Upper right now, and the culprit appears to be a Dual Skill user!" Shirai's distressed voice could be heard from the other line.

"Dual Skill! Isn't that impossible!"

"Whether it's supposedly impossible or not, none of that matters at the moment! I shall send you the coordinates, so head there immediately!" Shirai hungs up on him, and Kamijou pockets his phone and rushes back inside the classroom, grabbing the Judgment armband from underneath his desk.

"Kamijou-chan! Where are you going!" says Komoe in a panicked tone.

"Judgment emergency!" Kamijou shouts back, running from the classroom.

"Woohoo! How cool! Go, Kami-yan!" The students of 1-7 all rushed to the corridor, cheering after Kamijou.

July 24, 3:06 pm

Kamijou had to hail a cab in order to get to the Tenth School District faster, and he immediately got off and paid the driver hastily as soon as it got near enough the location that Shirai sent to his phone. He spots Uiharu talking to an older-looking woman near the collapsed portion of the highway, and immediately jogs on over.

"Uiharu! What's the situation? Where's Misaka? Shirai called me earlier and told me to come here." asks Kamijou.

"Kamijou-senpai, Misaka-san is fighting that thing right now!"

"What on earth is that thing!" Kamijou couldn't describe the creature in front of him. It's a grotesque-looking fetus with a halo upon its head, and there are several dozen appendages coming out out of its body.

"That thing is a being made of AIM; I guess you could call it an 'AIM Burst'. It's comprised of the thoughts of 10,000 espers connected to the Level Upper network. Unless you destroy the core of that thing, it will keep on regenerating." the woman Uiharu was talking to answered Kamijou's question.

Kamijou couldn't remember what AIM is, but from what he could deduce, that huge fetus in front of him came from espers. If that's the case, it's highly likely that his Imagine Breaker would be able to defeat that thing.

"I'll be going, Uiharu." says Kamijou, who moves to enter the battlefield.

"Where are you going? There's no way you could win!"

"Even so, I can't stand aside and let her fight that thing alone. You said it yourself, right? That thing is just a huge mass of esper powers. If there's any chance that I'd be able to do anything against that thing, I'll take it." Kamijou says to Kiyama, leaving her at a loss for words.

The spiky-haired boy runs towards the battlefield, and all Kiyama could do was watch his departing form. Uiharu sees the look of despair that formed on the researcher's face.

"Don't worry, Kiyama-sensei! If it's that person, that AIM Burst doesn't stand a chance." Uiharu says to Kiyama with a smile.

"The ability to nullify all other abilities; have you heard of it, that famous urban legend?"

Mikoto has been blocking the AIM Burst's spontaneous attacks using her iron sand for a while now. However, because of the fact that the overgrown fetus appears to have the ability to regenerate endlessly, the AIM Burst makes for one troublesome opponent.

_This is never gonna end... but still... Why does it seem like it's in pain whether I'm attacking it or not?_

The Anti-Skill continues their barrage on the AIM Burst, and Mikoto watches as the mass of AIM concentrated and unleashed a long-ranged beam attack in all directions. The 3rd ranked Level 5 shielded herself by deftly manipulating iron sand.

The AIM Burst crashed onto the fence of the nuclear power plant after Mikoto dodged its oncoming assault.

_This is bad... why is it heading to the nuclear facility of all places? What is this, a monster movie!_

Because it was born from 10,000 espers who used Level Upper, it can use all the abilities of those connected to the brainwave network. It appears that at least one of the members of the network has the ability to create acid: Mikoto lands on her feet after dodging what appears to be an acid barrage, causing one of her shoes to melt.

Even though the AIM Burst's main mass isn't very fast, its appendages more than makes up for it in terms of speed.

One such limb caught Mikoto's exposed left foot, dragging her through the ground. The creature seems to be planning on attacking Mikoto while her foot is still tied up. One of the AIM Burst's innumerable limbs surges towards Mikoto in a stabbing motion.

Just when Mikoto is planning on destroying the incoming appendage with a lightning spear attack from her forehead, the AIM Burst comes to a stop.

The levitating fetus halts its movement, and after several seconds, vanishes without a sound.

"Are you okay, Biribiri?"

The voice of a certain misfortunate student cuts through Mikoto's consciousness. Kamijou Touma is standing right beside where the AIM Burst used to be, with his right hand held out beside him.

* * *

><p><strong>Part 4<strong>

**July 24, 8:47 pm**

"Eh! Makeup makeup class?"

"Yes~ Because you missed several subjects today, you won't have enough credits even if you finish attending this week's remedial lessons~ You'll have to go to the makeup makeup class three weeks from now~!" Tsukuyomi Komoe's extremely chipper voice could be heard from the receiver.

"B-but that was official Judgment business! Isn't that a valid excuse?" Kamijou sputters into the phone. It wasn't his fault that the Level Upper case came to a head in the middle of class.

"That would be a valid excuse if this was a normal class day, but too bad, that's not the case with makeup classes~ So there, Kamijou-chan, see you tomorrow~"

"Wait, sensei! I-" Kamijou tries to reason with Komoe, only to be cutoff by the dial tone at the other end of the line.

Such misfortune.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**About Touma knowing Judo, there was this line in Volume 16, Chapter 1 of the Light Novels that caught my eye. It was**

**"_After that, without knowing where he learned it from, he habitually uses a professional judo throw to toss Index onto the bed,"_**

**Since I took Judo classes once, I know for a fact that a throw isn't something you just pick up somewhere, but rather something you learn through practice. It's not something that you can randomly learn on the streets. The fact that he did it out of habit implies that Touma (before memory destruction) took up Judo.**

**As for AIM Burst, well Imagine Breaker seems to travel the entire thing first before disappearing in one fell swoop (for example, Index's Walking Church took a few seconds for the Imagine Breaker to destroy). The core is still made of AIM, so it must be dispel-able if Touma holds the AIM Burst long enough.  
><strong>


End file.
